Tag Archives: Orc

The Chronicles of Covent is proud to present the official cover art to the highly anticipated Shade III: The Weeping Grounds. Our new artist Rob Joseph has loaded this cover with as much grit, mood and just plain attitude we’ve always wanted to see in our covers. We hope you appreciate Shade’s anger and intensity on this cover as much as we do.

Shade III: The Weeping Grounds is a rare story. The infamous Unseen Assassin has allowed himself to be captured by the Slavelords of the Black Ring. He is forced to endure unimaginable pain and harsh treatments in order to reach the high-profile marks that lie at the end of his dark journey. Shade is playing possum in the most dangerous gamble of his life and yet not even he is prepared for the trials and tribulations that await him.

From the release of Shade I: Waiting Game, we’ve often been asked by fans and reviewers the purpose in making Shade so invincible? Covent is a world teeming with many memorable characters, at all stages of walks in life. Shade starts out at the peak of his career and is the world’s top assassin. He was meant to appeal to readers who love a good bad @$$ character who walks into a bar and takes out everyone. We started Shade here by design.

J. E. and I were great fans of these kinds of characters in our younger high school days. However, these kinds of high testosterone-pumped portrayals in modern film, rarely have time to deal with real life fallout and consequences that comes with this kind of living. Shade’s over-arching story will delve deeply into the cold hard callous life of an assassin, the increasing burden of blood guilt and the high risk living that teeters on the edge of destruction.

Shade stands atop a mountain of his own accomplishments. He has no other place to go but down. The question remains how many times he’ll be able to get back up again after he is brought to his knees. Shade II: Kingsblood challenged him harder than any trial he had ever faced before, but he was able to overcome. In Shade III: The Weeping Grounds Shade is encountered by forces so powerful and beyond his control that he is faced with the demoralizing horror of his own helpless mortality. How Shade will deal with these forces will be a big part of the continuing Shade saga. And so without further ado here is the full color cover for Shade III: The Weeping Grounds.To read more about the exciting upcoming release and whet your appetite with a free sampler. Click here:

It’s been a while! I apologize for my lengthy absence on the blog. I’ve been hard at work on Shade III: The Weeping Grounds, which is entering into it’s third round of proofing to take us to the final draft. I am EXTREMELY excited about this book since it takes Shade out of his element leaving him broken and beaten. The full broken humanity of Shade’s character is in many ways put on trial in this book and this is Shade like you have never seen him before! More on that in a few minutes…

I’m afraid I’ve done also done a terrible job promoting the release of our latest book: The Last Field of Honor, Book One of the Elf Wars Trilogy. The Last Field of Honor has been out on the market since early this year and is doing fairly well. It seems a lot of folks have been impatient for Shade III, so that’s where I’ve been pouring most of my time. That and the birth and early life of the beautiful new addition to our family. Don’t get me wrong. The Elf Wars Trilogy is a great set of books and will introduce many mega-important characters to the Triloriad™ itself, but it seems many of my readers have grown more attached to Shade himself, at least for now. You can find the purchase links for The Last Field of Honor available in all major formats here.

Now about Shade III: The Weeping Grounds!

Shade allows himself to be captured by his next targets, the Slavelords of the Black Ring. He is stripped down, flogged and shackled with the lines of other caught night mortal slaves loaded onto a slave ship and shipped across the Sea of Mourning. He is forced to suffer countless horrors and abuses on his long perilous journey to his true targets. He is forced to bide his time, playing possum, swallowing his anger and desire to strike back, while the ship takes him ever closer to his true targets…the Slavelords of the Black Ring…

Shade has carefully laid his plans, prepared for every possible contingent in his plot to take out the Slavelords of the Black Ring. And yet not even he can fathom the vast sea of horrors that await him… For powers lurk in the elder planes, ancient powers long forgotten by the fragile mortal constructs of this world. His nights are haunted by dreams and torments. His days are haunted by heralds and visions. The very seas cry out for his blood. The very clouds weep for Shade’s soul. Shade is in for his most harrowing adventure yet…

Bloodthirsty sea monsters lurk in the great depths. Winged shadows swoop down from the mountains looking to settle old scores. And the greatest evil lies buried in the deep bowels of this world, locked away, forgotten until Shade finally encounters a foe that not even his capable hand can slay. Shade finds himself reduced to but a small mortal worm, wriggling in between the wars of gods and Elder Dragons. Shade III is like no Shade book before it…

You can learn more about Shade III at our preview link here. Includes the first three sample chapters of the Weeping Grounds to whet your appetites! I’m afraid you’ll have to wait until this winter to enjoy the full book, but look to the blog to reveal more juicy details and excerpts about the exciting new installment in the Shade saga. If you’re wondering who drew this awesome new Shade III artwork. Check out our amazing new artist, Rob Joseph, at his kicking website: http://www.rob-joseph.com/

***BOOK RELEASE ANNOUCEMENT***Shade Tale II: Kingsblood is finally available for sale in print and all major e-book formats!

Shade has returned to his asylum in Jile after single-handedly ousting the ruler of the Kurn underworld. He did not find the challenge he had thirsted for, but deep in the shadows of the nation’s colossal capital a far greater danger brews. An assassins’ war…

Shade is on a colliding path with the challenge of a lifetime. A contract has been written soon to be sealed in the blood of kings. A guild of assassins creeps out of the shadows of mighty Doljinaar, eager to collect on the royal bounty. Shade is sent in counter and so he must reach down deep inside himself to find out whether any good still lives within him.

The time has come for the world’s darkest assassin to make a stand, but will he stand for good or for evil? And what will Shade do when he at last meets a worthy rival face to face?

Don’t miss the book our reader’s group is calling “twice has good as Shade 1” and “a new level of craftsmanship”

Greetings blog-readers! I just wanted to take a moment and wish everyone happy holidays!

Just a few short announcements. I know I had promised Shade 2 would be released at the end of 2012, but it seems Christmas has snuck up on me this year. The book is on the last few chapters of its final proof and I am so excited about Shade’s sequel. I really feel this story shows so many deeper dimensions of Shade’s soul and puts him in a far more interesting role of an anti-hero. There are also so many strong characters introduced in Shade 2 that will play major parts in Shade’s life and he finally finds the worthy adversary he has been thirsting for…

That said I made a promise last year to my wife that I wouldn’t let a book release get in the way of the holidays. Everything was on track this year until that Frankenstorm Sandy hit in late October. Bad Frankenstorm! I spent the last two months working double shifts in servicing the superstorm. I came off of catastrophe storm assignment a few days ago, but in order to complete the book release before Christmas I’d have to eat up all my family time.

As many of you know my wife is pregnant with our second child and my four-year-old, Everett, has been in need of some serious daddy time. We are very excited about this new little addition to our family! Looks like my son is getting a sequel… ; )

The good news for Chronicles of Covent fans is that the release of Shade 2: Kingsblood may be put off until next year, but next year is just around the corner! I am so close it kills me to hold off on the book’s release, but that means you will see Shade 2 appear on the market early 2013! Look for the official release announcement in very, very, very early 2013! Website updates and promotions to follow!

Thanks again,
J. L.

For now whet your whistle on this free sample of the first couple chapters of Shade 2 available for download at ChroniclesofCovent.com

The Brand is Growing…
I’m very excited to announce I’ve holding the first proof of Shade 2 in my hands! It’s pretty cool to be holding not one, but two Chronicles of Covent books in my hand. Sorry I haven’t been blogging much, but I’ve been tied up working Hurricane Sandy over the phone, so I’ve been quite busy working storm hours. I have been pouring over this proof copy in the evenings however and on my Kindle, which technically means I’m now onto proof 3.

If you can bear with me for one blog, I thought I’d make this blog more about Covent news rather than a terribly clever blog update. That said I’ve got a lot of exciting news and am developing a new strategy for next year that should see a better balance between blogging and the official ChroniclesofCovent.com web updates I promised last year. Although, I enjoyed the blogs I think they distracted me a bit from all the official CoC.com web updates I had originally planned. I think a massive content fantasy website could really walk hand in hand with our books and hasn’t been done before on a large scale.

That said I also believe in blogging. It’s a great way to have get clever, show off content, interview guests and get your name out there. I’ll still be doing blogs, however, I’ll probably stick with once a month so I can continue to pump out books and official ChroniclesofCovent.com web updates. Except far more official ChroniclesofCovent.com web updates next year including characters, races, creatures and more.

Updates! Updates! Updates!!!
We’re excited to announce that the first round of Shade 2 updates had gone live for Characters and Races on ChroniclesofCovent. We have added over 50 new characters and 10 new races to the website. Expect Shade 2 updates to Factions, Races and Places over the next few months. Please forgive a few typos. I’ve had to focus my late evening proofing sessions on the next book, which you can’t fix after it goes to print so website is priority 2. You will notice we had to move away from the fancy flip format pages on these pages. Sorry about that, but loading time was getting worse and worse with all the new entries, especially on Characters. However, going to simpler HTML will allow me to make far more updates myself without waiting forever on our web guy.

New Artwork!
You’ll also notice a lot of new artwork on the official homepage. Some artwork was made by our cover artist Thom Scott, but several other artists submitted Chronicles of Covent artwork to us as well. We realize that some of these art styles don’t totally mesh on the website, but we’re excited for the interest. By representing all of the different artist submissions we’re received is a great way to show off some of the excitement that is buzzing around our new brand and also help artists fond enough to support us to promote themselves. We welcome any other artists wishing to send us more art from our world. We are now listing artist credits in the description of each Character, Race, Faction, Creature or Place. Stay tuned! More artwork to come!!!

So When Is Shade 2 Coming Out?
Shade 2 is reaching its final stage in far more pristine condition than our original release of Shade 1. I’m hoping to release the softcover, PDF and Kindle edition next month, that’s December 2012! The iStore, Nook and Googlebooks versions will probably be available in January as it seems these vendors take twice as long to put the book on the virtual shelves. We are discontinuing hardcovers as this format has not been supported by sales. We are very excited about Shade 2 since our reader’s group has been saying it’s twice as good as the original. Shade 2 is also a bit longer than the original, clocking in over 200 pages. We can’t wait to get this new book in your hands!!!

Welcome back blog readers! I won’t waste time with an intro this week, but let’s jump right into part three of the Tribe of Men. A special thanks again to all these great artists for helping to bring our world to life. And now the exciting conclusion to the Tribes of Men…

13) Shamite [sham-ite] Shamites are a tribe of flashy white men who are the shrewdest of traders. They adorn rich golden embroidered clothing, troves of jewelry and sprinkle their blonde hair with gold dust. Their faces are heavily pierced and hung with gold chains. Shamites are known and at times despised for their honey smooth speech and well oiled grins. Shamites have risen to the highest classes of Doljinaar due to their ability to amass wealth and control the economy.

Shamites struggled in the Age of Tribes. Although their civilization grew quickly, they had little in the way of defenses. They desired to trade with their hostile neighbors. So when Shamites heard of the united kingdom of men they welcomed Doljinaarian rule with open arms. Shamites have since wormed their way into every market in the Doljinaarian economy and given rise to the Merchant Guild. It is said that a boy can’t even buy a loaf of bread off a street corner without somehow slipping a coin into the guild’s back pocket.14) Terramothian [tare-a-moth-e-an]
Terramothians are a large clan of hardy blonde humans who inhabit the Plains of Terramoth, which was named after them, but they lead simple hard-working lives as farmers, herdsmen and craftsmen. Terramothians treasure good honest hard work and despise greed and corruption. They prefer to trade in their old capital at Feltmore rather than deal with the corruption of other major metropolises. A good number of Terramothians have grown poor working off the land due to increasing aristocratic land grabs, leading them to despise the very rich, city folk and outsiders in general.

Terramothians worked the land in the Plains of Terramoth during the Age of Tribes. Their lives consisted of driving off hostile neighbors, which they succeeded in doing for centuries since their work ethic also made them durable warriors. The Terramothian were eventually conquered by the Buurghast Empire until they were liberated by the forces of Doljinaar. The Terramothians have lived peacefully under Doljinaarian rule ever since, but they still don’t care for city life.15) Tulestine [tul-es-teen] Tulestines, or “Tuls” for short, are a clan of hardened hill-men. They are masters of arms and some orders such as the Tulestine Monks even shun weapons for martial arts. Tulestines have long black hair they braid into topknots to display their battle prowess. The phrase, “Never tussle with a Tul’,” is muttered in countless taverns across Doljinaar. This Tul’ is not traditionally dressed, but he is featured in the Adventure Series as the deadliest Mage Hunter alive.

Tulestines warred amongst their own tribes in the early Age of Tribes. Some Tulestine camps bred raiders who preyed on other towns, but many Tulestines built defenses and warded off invaders. The Tulestines united against the Buurghast Empire in the late Age of Tribes. The Buurghast far outnumbered the Tulestine tribes and wiped out three-fourths of the tribe, but the victories came at the cost of hundreds of thousands of Buurghast troops. The last of the Tulestines were able to hold off at Tulus until eventually the Buurghast Empire fell to Doljinaar. Of course, Doljinaarian aide did not curry Tulestine favor, so even Doljinaar itself was forced to lose a devastating number of men in taking Tulus. Tulestine numbers have begun to recover under Doljinaarian rule.

16) Valsharen [val-shar-an] The Valsharen, or Riverfolk, are a clan of humans who live off the lakes and rivers of Doljinaar. Valsharen are relatively peaceful, but they can spear a would-be thief some forty feet right off the shore. The Riverfolk have strange blue hair they string with beads. They live in complex river towns both ashore and on houseboats. Valsharen are skilled fisherman, boatmen and run a barrel-running service that ferries goods downriver.

The Valsharen were able to avoid conflicts by taking to the waters in the early Age of Tribes. However, as their populations grew they were forced to build on the shores of lakes and rivers. The Valsharen were conquered by the Buurghast Empire and oppressed for decades. The Riverfolk were later liberated by the forces of Doljinaar and they have been faithful citizens ever since.

17) Vespuvian [ves-poo-v-an] Vespuvians are a clan of seafaring humans that are more at home at sea. They have only a handful of port cites on the coast, but an untold number of other cities in the Vespuviar Depths. Vespuvians have long black hair they typically wear tied back into a ponytail. They are loyal to Doljinaar so long as the kingdom continues to keep their ports secure and the seas open. They’re employed as explorers, deep sea fishermen, whalers, poachers and a growing number have adopted lives of piracy.

Vespuvians accepted Doljinaarian rule without resistance. Vespuvians never saw much value in land anyway and Doljinaarian military strength meant they no longer had to guard their ports. Vespuvians have fallen under criticism for founding unsanctioned cities on deep sea isles. Vespuvians are often resented by Haradrik due to the naval aid they offered Doljinaar in the Icefarer Wars, which brought the Haradrik under Doljinaarian rule.18) Wickovan [wik-cov-an] The Wickovan, or Witchmen, are a clan of humans whose ways are steeped in the Black Arts. The Wickovan sprinkle themselves with ash and used to practice their rituals in Fogrim Forest. Though, the Wickovan never openly fought Doljinaar, the kingdom outlawed many Wickovan practices that included human sacrifices. As result, the Wickovan have scattered all over the kingdom hidden away in secret societies that continue their practice the occult.

The Wickovan hid away in Fogrim Forest in the Age of Tribes. Most other nations left them alone, fearing the Wickovan would put a curse on their heads. Doljinaar nearly forgot about the Witchmen, until they were forced investigate the disappearance of many people and livestock in the towns surrounding Fogrim Forest. Authorities later discovered Wickovan were making sacrifices to an ancient evil that granted them powers that some say even rivaled the High Mage Order. Doljinaar forbade Wickovan practices and hunted down practicing Wickovan, but rumors persist that Doljinaar never fully succeeded in putting a stop to their black arts.

Welcome back everyone! Here’s the second list of Covent’s lengthy tribes of men. We do not have art for every clan and some characters have broken a bid away from their cultures, but we’re very thankful for all the art we have blessed with thus far. Most authors don’t get to see their world come to life this early after release, so we are taking nothing for granted.

Let me start by throwing out a plug to the 2 new artists.

Last week we introduced Lona Kamakeeaina who made the Brigorian and the Mixed Blood concepts. This week we’re showing off his concept picture of a Grull, which made me laugh pretty hard the first time I laid eyes on it. Lona has been working on art for over 30 years and is currently attending the Art Institute. His portfolio can be found here:http://www.behance.net/lonaKamakeeaina
This week we are also introducing concept art from Néstor Cruz who is a Graphic Design Professor at Columbia College and worked as an art director and graphic artist for many years. He drew the slick Jinto concept designs below. He did a superb job of capturing our clan of circus performers turned coldhearted killers. His portfolio can be found here and he will be featured again next week.http://nestorcruz.carbonmade.com/

And so, without further ado, the Tribes of Men continued…

7) Durnish [dur-nish]
Durnishmen are a tribe of sturdy, hard-working men. Durnishmen have short cropped brown hair, tightly trimmed goatees and strange bronze pupils. The Durnish take pride in all they do and are exceptional craftsmen and builders. Much of Capital Doljinaar was built with Durnish stonework. Durnishmen are hard-workers and generally despise spongers and beggars.

The Durnish warred with the ancient Doljinn tribe over resources during the Age of Tribes. When the last male heir of Durnia died, High King Doljinn took the Durnian Queen to join the two peoples. The Durnish was the first tribe of men to join Doljinn’s dream of a united kingdom of men. The hill lands of Old Durnia have been swallowed by the ever expanding captial of Doljinaar. Not a blade of grass remains, as it is all concrete, but the land is now known as the Durnian District of the capital. The Durnish still call this district home and are very loyal to Doljinaar.

8) Eldorians [el-dor-e–ans]Eldorians are known for being great thinkers and philosophers. Eldorian men shave their heads and wear wreaths over their shortly cut hair. Their primary passion is for learning and studying the natural world. They are the forefathers of modern thinking and scientific thought. They are valued for their keen minds and many have risen to the higher classes of Doljinaar. Eldorians are sometimes criticized for paganism and hold to a controversial view that the world rose from its own natural processes.

In early human history, when the tribes were violent and warmongering, the Eldorians lived in Stoneweaver’s Canyon. They were forced to constantly defend themselves from Brigorians and other aggressive tribes. Having, little desire of war, the Eldorians eventually retreated into the mountaintops of the Dragontooth Mountains. There they built a mountain peak cloud city called Cloudwithe. It become their city state and they booby trapped the mountain passes to stop raiders. As Doljinaar marched across the west, the Eldorians joined King Doljinn’s dream of a free world and they came under Doljinaar’s protection. Since then Cloudwithe has become a center of modern thinking and learning. Every Doljinn king spends time in Cloudwithe on the path to enlightenment.

9) Grull [grul]Grulls are huge, hulking men with dirty black unkempt hair, yellow teeth, bad breath and foul body orders. Grulls bathe so rarely that their hair mats with grease and clumps into dreadlocks. Grulls are equally notorious for their rude manners and overly-intrusive personality that turns them into overgrown sponging vagabonds. Some Grulls find employment as bodyguards, bouncers or other brute muscle. Strangely, Grulls seem to be shrinking forcing them to find honest work. A plague has broken out back in their old homelands which only spurs on their aimless wandering. See if you can find their lands on the super slick map: http://www.chroniclesofcovent.com/map.html

Grulls fought against Doljinaar in the tribal histories. They were feared for their size, but the Doljinn commander quickly outsmarted the Grull chieftains. The Grulls have never rebelled against Doljinaar because they are too dumb to remember they have been conquered. The Grull above is a concept drawing from the Chronicles of Covent video game project. The artist imagined this Grull found a nice suit of armor and put it on his back. Of course, it may have a slight odor because he forgot to take the dead guy out of it. He seems to have let a nasty fungus start growing on his right arm and birds seem to have mistaken him for a big dumb rock.10) Haradrik (ha-rad-drik)
The Haradrik are a tall, proud Viking-like clan of ice seafarers who stand nearly seven feet tall. They have long curly blonde hair, long beards and tough skin that adapts well to the cold. Haradrik live along the southern coasts and brave the arctic sea known as the Haraglace. The Haradrik were conquered by Doljinaar in a bloody conflict known as the Icefarer Wars. Haradrik have taken part in numerous rebellions over the centuries which Doljinaar has put down.

The Haradrik have always been disgruntled living under Doljinaarian rule. A small number of Haradrik, like Captain Aaagren shown in this picture, have grown to accept Doljinaarian life, but most yearn to strike out across the Haraglace to the southern arctic continent where they can build a country of their own. Every year thousands of Haradrian pilgrims sail the treacherous Haraglace in an effort to build settlements. None of them have ever returned…

11) Jinto [gin-toe]More commonly known as Gypsies, these acrobatic human nomads have made a life of wild living and theatrics. Gypsies travel in large caravans from town to town where they perform in festivals, fairs and circuses. Jinto have strange green hair and are short of stature, but astound other races through all manner of acrobatic feats. Most Jinto have no appetite for war, except for a growing number among their people who secretly despise the passive Jinotoan lifestyle. Many have joined the ranks of the Shaltearan Brotherhood and are training to become the deadliest of assassins.

In the Age of Tribes, Gypsies did far less travel and hid in Fogrim Forest from raiders. They moved their tents and wagons constantly throughout the forest and were quite deadly in ambushing invaders. The Jinto gladly accepted Doljinaarian rule and their culture evolved into the nomadic circus culture from which most gypsies earn a living. These two Jinto sketches were drawn by Néstor Cruz, another artist doing concept work for the Chronicles of Covent video game project. Both of these Jinto have left the circus lifestyle. One is an accomplished thief and the other a deadly assassin.

12) Mayahoon Indian [may-a-whoon]The Mayahoon Indians are a fairly dark skinned, dark haired tribe of indians who live in Mizzle Drizzle Forest. They are great hunters and gatherers who live in the higher elevations of the forest in sea grass huts. They are skilled woodsmen and watermen. Though the Mayahoon are tough, the dwindling forest, the unpredictability of flood tides and the reckless magic of Trites have caused their numbers to dwindle. Some scholars fear the ancient tribes lies on the brink of extinction.

The Mayahoon have lived a pretty isolated existence in Mizzle Drizzle Forest for centuries. Most outsiders did not chance the dense rainforest until after the discovery of the vast array of resources that could be had there. Mizzlewood, rubber, herbs, medicines, furs and other new resources are being discovered every day. Mayahoon used to be hostile to trespassers, but have started to trade with outsiders. Mayahoon find employment as scouts, trackers and guides in their forest home due to the increasing interest in their forest home.